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J.D. Martinez to be tested in right field this spring

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By Brian McTaggart

DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Astros manager Bo Porter said Wednesday he plans to give J.D. Martinez a good look in right field, a position he has very little experience playing in the Major Leagues. Martinez has played almost exclusively in left field in his career, save for one appearance in right.

The Astros are going to give Chris Carter every chance to win the starting left-field spot, so Martinez needs to expand his resume to get a spot on the club.

"He played a lot of right field coming up and he has a strong arm," Porter said. "He has good range and it also allows us, as the transition takes place, we want to get a look at Carter in field. This allows us to look at him, [Justin] Maxwell and J.D. all in the outfield at the same time."

Martinez played 92 games in right field between Class A Lexington and Double-A Corpus Christi in 2010.

"It's something we're going to look at early on in camp and make sure that it's comfortable," he said. "It gives us other options as far as lineup construction when you face that tough lefty and run three guys out there who can change the game in one swing."